Social Media

Your online brand

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Let's get social

Social media usage is picking up a pace as HR and Finance professionals use the various forms available to source their next challenging role. It takes on many different forms including Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, microblogging, wikis, podcasts, photographs or pictures, video, rating and social bookmarking. All three of the top social networks – LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are free and easy to join and can be used initially to get job search advice and tips to network and to connect with career and job search experts, companies that are recruiting and other job seekers.

Social media is a great tool for the job seeker and one that every HR and Finance professional should be using. Your social footprint will become very important in your quest for your next HR or Finance role and it is important to maximise your online profile.

Where to begin...

Begin searching for relevant sites with Google and Bing as they now index all the social sites through their real time search engines and make sure you add your profile on as many sites as possible to ensure HR or Finance recruiters find you.

Networking is one of the most important components of job searching so join these main sites first – LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, then you can build up your social media footprint on other sites such as Google.

LinkedIn

It has reached a point where it’s almost unprofessional not to be on LinkedIn as it offers you access to the major companies and contacts across the globe. LinkedIn is primarily focused on the business community. When you search LinkedIn you’ll find lots of contacts from your current and past employers as well as job searching facilities. All these contacts have the potential to help you grow your career or find a new HR or Finance role. Your individual network consists of your immediate connections and 2 further levels of contacts connected to any of your connections. Your searchable network can expand very quickly each time you connect to someone new.

Twitter – A really useful component in your job search strategy. When used in conjunction with LinkedIn, job search engines and other job sites Twitter can help you make connections, find job listings and build a personal brand that will help boost your career and accelerate your HR or Finance job search.

Facebook– Just login to Facebook, click on Profile, type your name in the search box and then follow the instructions to install. Be careful as everything you post on Facebook can be seen by a current or prospective employer.

Be aware of your digital footprint.

Top Tips

LinkedIn

Create a detailed profile, make it 100% complete with information on employment (current and past), education, industry, and web sites.

Add a photo, a headshot is recommended.

Include all your resume keywords and skills in your summary section.

Make connections with other HR or Finance professionals and HR or Finance recruitment specialists and grow your network. The more connections you have the more opportunities you can create for yourself.

Ask for recommendations – these are testament to the type and level of work you are capable of and will provide an effective snapshot of your capabilities to a future employer.
Increase your visibility e.g. add to and set up polls, post details of successful presentations you have undertaken (if permitted).

Add updates to your profile regularly to ensure you get noticed.

DON’T FORGET – LinkedIn provides a job searching facility to use too.

Twitter

Add an eye catching sales pitch of you and your skills in your bio.

Use a professional photo of yourself.

Add a link to your resume to promote your skills further.

Follow industry experts , tools like Followerwonk.com can help.

Tweet about HR or Finance topics, offer tips and advice – this will enhance your reputation as an HR expert.

Set up targeted job tweets sent to your twitter feed or your mobile phone.

Facebook

Have a good Facebook profile so it gives a future employer a good feel for your personality.
Add you professional qualifications.

Track your activity on the page to strive for maximum engagement with the right potential HR employers.

The social media marketplace is constantly evolving and the above represents just a small snapshot of what you can achieve in social media. If you would like further information or assistance in growing your social media footprint please contact your HR or Finance Recruitment Consultant.

Ashley Kate acknowledges Sirona Consulting Ltd for their support and contributions to this Guide.